![\"How](\"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-to-Keep-Brisket-Warm-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\nHow to Keep Brisket Warm: The Best Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve played around with a number of ways to keep brisket warm. The following methods are my favorite when I\u2019m smoking brisket at home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use a Cooler<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A cooler is an excellent holding tank for smoked brisket<\/strong>, and it\u2019s what I use as a holding tank. They are well-insulated and will keep the meat warm for hours. Some hyper-insulated models, like these made by Ocra<\/a>, might keep the brisket warm for 10 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As long as the meat stays above 140\u00b0F<\/a>, it\u2019s safe to store it this way. And since brisket is cooked to screaming hot temps (I like 203\u00b0F), it can rest in a cooler for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coolers generally keep things, well, cool. They\u2019re also great at holding things at hot temperatures as well. A cooler creates an insulated environment for food or drinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some steps you need to take to prepare your cooler for this process. And, you\u2019ll need a few items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many pit bosses like to preheat their coolers with hot water before resting the brisket in them. It\u2019s a nice idea, but I skip this step most of the time. If you\u2019d like extra credit, and are determined to preheat, good for you! Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warm up some water on your stove, pour it into the cooler, and close the lid. When I preheated, I used a gallon of 150\u00b0F water for my 40-quart cooler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be careful about pouring boiling water inside<\/strong>. It might make the plastic melt. Use hot water that\u2019s 150\u00b0F or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pour in the water, close the lid, and let the cooler preheat for 10 minutes or so. Then dump out the water and towel dry. Your cooler\u2019s ready!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you didn\u2019t use the \u201cTexas Crutch\u201d on your brisket, you\u2019ll need to wrap it in foil or butcher\u2019s paper after it cooks. The \u201cTexas Crutch\u201d is a method to break the brisket stall, which is when the meat hits around 160\u00b0F and the temperature stops climbing for hours. Wrapping the brisket in butcher\u2019s paper avoids the stall, takes time off the cook, and makes the meat more moist. I usually wrap my brisket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you use foil, it doesn\u2019t need to be heavy-duty foil; any type of tin foil will do. The trick is to wrap your brisket tightly<\/strong>. Butcher\u2019s paper works great, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once it\u2019s wrapped, I usually cover the brisket with a clean towel. The more space you fill in the cooler, the better it will insulate the meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Place the brisket in the container as soon as it\u2019s been wrapped. Close the lid and wait. I rest my brisket for 2-4 hours after cooking. I put a smoking thermometer in the brisket so I can monitor the temperature. The Meator is handy<\/a> because there are no wires – you can track the meat temp on your phone via Bluetooth. How futuristic! Again, don\u2019t let the temp dip below 140\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your brisket will stay hot for hours wrapped in a cooler. It will keep it moist as well. The collagen in the meat continues to break down as the meat rests, resulting in ultra-moist beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also great because now you can transport your brisket to a guest’s house, tailgate, picnic – whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don’t have a cooler, you can use an oven – there’s more than one way to keep a brisket warm. It\u2019s still a good idea to monitor the temperature with a thermometer.<\/strong> You can turn your oven on to its lowest temp or just leave it off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The method is simple. Wrap your brisket in foil as mentioned above. Then, place it in your oven and shut it tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep the oven door shut until you\u2019re ready to serve the brisket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can preheat the oven to keep the temperature warm. However, be careful not to overdo it, or your carefully smoked brisket will dry out. Set your oven temp as low as it goes – mine is 180\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can keep brisket moist<\/a> and warm for nearly half a day with my oven at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t slice your brisket before wrapping it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sliced meat loses moisture fast. So it’s best to wrap your brisket whole after cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, you can keep brisket warm in your smoker! It\u2019ll depend a bit on your smoker – if you\u2019ve got a Kamado, close the vents an hour before the briskets are done cooking. They\u2019re insanely insulated and will hold their temperatures for hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve got a charcoal or gas grill, close the vents after the meat is done cooking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, a nice thermometer is your best friend when doing this. Tracking temperatures is crucial in BBQ, even when resting brisket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some pellet grills go down to 180\u00b0F, much like ovens.<\/p>\n\n\n This really depends on the cooler and other factors. If you use water to preheat the cooler, your brisket can stay warm for up to 6 hours or more. Better coolers have better insulation and will keep the meat hot for longer. I\u2019ll say it one more time: a good thermometer is as important as your grill<\/strong>. Invest in one, and you\u2019ll never look back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t panic that your brisket will suddenly go cold. Wrap it, and place it in a temperature-insulated container. The rest will help make your brisket a kick-butt BBQ experience, I promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any cooler (or oven) works for this! I\u2019ve got a cheapie $20 Igloo cooler from a local box store, and I\u2019ve rested hundreds of pieces of meat in there. You\u2019ve got this! Happy grilling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The best way to keep a brisket warm is to wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or butcher paper and put it in an insulated container. This will keep your brisket warm for 4 hours (more if you\u2019ve got a good cooler). This rest makes it incredibly juicy and tender. When I was working the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3403"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19538,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3403\/revisions\/19538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3403"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=3403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What You Will Need<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"brisket](\"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/brisket-wrapped-in-aluminum-foil-1200x800.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStep 1: Warm Up the Cooler (Optional Step)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Wrap Your Brisket in Foil<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"brisket](\"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/brisket-placed-inside-a-foil-box-1200x800.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStep 3: Place the Wrapped Brisket in the Cooler<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Use Your Oven<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Things to Avoid When Trying to Keep a Brisket Warm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can I Keep Brisket Warm in Smoker?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"smoked](\"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/smoked-brisket-ready-to-be-served-1200x800.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Long Can a Brisket Stay Warm in a Cooler?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n